Gary's Farrier Service

09/24/2019

An Old Farrier

A bunch of young farriers stood looking down at a horses foot.
They talked of what to do and how to do it, What measures to take to make the horse sound again, shaking their heads.

Under a shade tree an old man sat, his hands twisted and knuckles scarred. He was slumped and tired, worn out by weather and horses, useless and empty.

Once this old man could shoe any horse with hair on it's hide. He could make his hammer blows sing like music on his anvil. He did it for a hundred years until his knees were gone, shoulders ached and his arms grew weak.

He heard talk nearby, listened quietly to the voices of inexperience and slowly stood and limped over to where the boys stood in the sun. He groaned with each halting step.

The old farrier looked down at the horse and said, "mind if I put in my two cents?" Well, the young men snickered, smiled and looked the old empty man up and down.

"You're a little long in the tooth, old fella. I reckon you're here to give us some old time advice?" One of the young men said.

Laughing another chimed in "Do us a favor, huh and just go rest in the shade cause we got this problem worked out. You see, times are changed and we're specialists in the farrier trade."

The old man smiled. "I know you boys have it licked. You know just what to do for this old horse and Im just in your way but it sounded like you could use a little help. Don't mind me I'll just get on back to the shade."

Hesitantly one young man stepped forward and touched the ancient farrier on his arm and said "I'd like to know what you have to say. You see, I want to learn what it takes to be a man like you, to have shod the horses you have. So, please stay and teach me something not in our books, will ya?"

The old man smiled, his face like dry leather and said, "Hand me your tools son, and we can make this horse run and play."

With that the stooped and gray old man lifted the horses foot and went to work. He trimmed, shaped the foot, flipped the rasp in his hand and pointed at a cracked and broken heel and said quietly, "Bar shoe is what you need."

"Well we knew that ole man." the first guy snickered

"We dont have any bar shoes on the truck" said another. "What now?"

The wrinkled old man went to the hot shots truck, fired his forge and cut a piece of iron, he slipped it into the fire and let it heat, Then fished it out of the inferno and began shaping the red hot steel on the anvil. He worked fast and sure, tapping the hot steel here and there, making a miracle of beauty and grace, a shoe to make the horse stand straight and feel good.

Quenched, holes punched, rasped clean, he took the shoe, filled his mouth with nails and picked up a driving hammer. He limped over to the horse and groaned as he picked up the foot. Taking a breath he steadied himself and one by one he drove the nails.

He slowly straightened up and stretched out his back, curved with years of bending over. A young man picked up the foot and the kids didn't say a whole lot, just shook their heads and one muttered a "well damn."

The old man said "That sure felt good! I always wonder about the last shoe I'll nail on a horse. I hope this ain't it. I hope God will spare me knowing its my last shoe." I will never get over the feeling you get when you've done a horse right."

The old man replaced the kids tools, and limped back to his chair in the shade. The young farriers watched. They knew they had seen something they might never see again, just an old farrier.

Last feet. Last horses. The last time you feel needed for your knowledge, for the skills you've worked hard to know. Someday we will all do those last things, and when our last breath rattles and we close our eyes, a flight of angel wings will lift our souls and carry us away to where the horses always stand, its always cool and the anvil always rings true.

05/26/2019

05/06/2019

FROM A FARRIERS WIFE: let me tell you what you do not see -

You do not see the mornings that begin at 6 a.m. and the nights that end at 11 p.m. You do not see your farrier performing his juggling act while he shoes, returns voicemails and text messages, and answers "emergency calls" for pulled shoes on Friday nights when he'd rather be at home with his family. On Sunday mornings when he'd rather be in church.

You do not see the checks written to the shoeing supply house, the receipts for the fuel that gets him from your place to the next one, or the maintenance bills that keep his shoeing rig running down the road.

You do not see the books he studies, the workshops he attends or teaches, or the seriousness with which he takes the art and skill of his profession. You do not hear him making late night calls to the vet and to other horseshoers that he respects as they put their heads together to come up with the best solution to make the horse comfortable enough to stay on his feet - to stay alive.

My friend, you do not see the burn marks on his hands and arms from the hours he spends in the forge learning to make your shoes; always preparing to help you the next time your horse comes up lame, is diagnosed with navicular, or founders for the umpteenth time (even though he's warned you to pull that pony off the pasture). He must be prepared for anything you throw at him, and he takes this responsibility to his heart.

You do not see the bumps, bruises, scuffs and injuries that he collects on a daily basis from young, naughty, impatient and flighty horses. He doesn't complain about them. He just keeps on keepin' on. They are part of the job, and he accepts this without complaint, just as he accepts your ingratitude.

So, my friend, I implore you - the next time you think about opening your mouth to insult your farrier, spend a day in his shoes!

03/25/2019

Get-R-Done !

03/03/2019

Posted !

01/16/2019

Yeah Right !

01/15/2019

Too often I hear complaints from horse owners about a Farrier. The Farrier doesn’t return their call, cancels their appointment, is in a foul mood, etc. I would ask those same horse owners to consider the following questions (many of which also apply to your Veterinarian as well 😉)

1) are your horses caught up and waiting when your Farrier arrives? Your Farrier doesn’t have time to catch them or wait for you to try and catch them.

2) do your horses stand well for the Farrier? Your Farrier doesn’t have time to train your horses and isn’t getting paid for it. Work with your horses so they will allow their leg to be held for several minutes and allow hammering if you expect shoes to be placed.

3) are your horses legs covered in mud? Take a little time to at least clean their legs off.

4) do you have an adequate place for your Farrier to setup and work? This doesn’t have to be fancy. But it should be free of clutter, relatively flat, out of the mud, and out of the elements if possible? You may not have a barn, but a nice shade tree will do during the hot days of summer. A place out of the wind if it’s cold. Adequate lighting is a must if you expect your Farrier to do their best.

5) do you pay your Farrier at the time of service, or at least in a timely manner if an invoice is left? Your Farrier is not as wealthy as you may think. They depend on that money to pay their bills and care for their family just as much as you do.

6) does your horse constantly lose or bend shoes because they paw the fence, kick the wall, stand in mud or a pond, are in a paddock with a bunch of exposed tree roots, etc? We all know horses can be very adept at pulling shoes. But if there are things you as a horse owner can do to lessen the likelihood, then by all means do it. Especially if your Farrier has mentioned it to you. You likely don’t realize your Farrier loses money when they have to return to fix a shoe; even if you pay them. There’s little way to recoup the cost of that visit to their business.

7) do you keep your horses on a regular trimming or shoeing cycle? Don’t let your horses go weeks overdue. This causes more work for your Farrier to get that foot back to looking and working it’s best.....at the same price. Most Farriers make their schedule up weeks in advance based on what horses sk be due then. Don’t leave scheduling to the last minute as they are less likely to have time for you and will be in a hurry if they squeeze you in.

So if any of the above questions give you pause, then perhaps there are opportunities for you to make your Farrier know they are appreciated and their work is valued.

10/29/2018

In the midst of a developing digital landscape, Made by Hand is a series of films which celebrate the beautiful purity of traditional craftsmanship. As small windows…

10/27/2018

A LITTLE COMMON SENSE FROM AN OLD COWBOY . . . Don't pick a fight with an Old Man, cause you may get what's comin' to ya!

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered . . . not yelled.

Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life . . . Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around . . .
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

09/20/2018

Good luck with that, don’t have time to keep my own shod!😜